The present invention relates to devices used to activate gas-actuatable elements in a vehicle occupant protection system and, more particularly, to a mechanism for releasably containing a pressurized inflation fluid in a container used in a stored gas inflator or hybrid gas generating system.
Inflation systems for deploying inflatable devices such as air bags in motor vehicles generally employ an inflator or gas generating system in fluid communication with an uninflated air bag. The inflator is typically triggered by a firing circuit when a sensor determines that vehicle acceleration has exceeded a predetermined threshold value (for example, through the use of an acceleration-responsive inertial switch.)
Air bag inflation systems often utilize a stored gas generator (or hybrid gas generator) housed within the B-pillar of a car, for example. Stored gas generators contain pressurized gas that is released to inflate the airbag upon receipt of a predetermined signal from the sensor. An ongoing challenge is to reduce the time required to release the stored gas upon a crash event. Furthermore, improved safety and reduced manufacturing costs are also ongoing concerns. Improvements in any of these areas would provide an advantage over state-of-the-art gas release systems.